Let-off mechanism for looms.



PATENTED DEG. 15, 1903.

J. V. GUNNIPP. LET-OFF MECHANISM FOR LOOMS,

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 1903.

.NO MODEL.

UNITED STATES Fatented December 15, 1903.

PATENT Enron.

JOHN V. OUNNIFF, OF NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPERCOMPANY, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A, CORPORA- TION OF MAINE.

LET-OFF MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,302, dated December15, 1903. A

Application filed June 13, 1903. Serial No. 161,273. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN V. CUNNIFF, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of New Bedford, county of Bristol, State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improvement in Let-OE Mechanism for Looms, of which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like characters on the drawings representing likeparts.

In positively-driven let-off mechanism for looms, such as the well-knownBartlett letoff or the Roper let-0E, shown in United States Patent No.647 ,815, it is necessary for the weaver to nnclamp the friction-collarand turn the worm-shaft by the hand-Wheel in the Bartlett type or by theratchet in the Roper construction whenever it is desired to turn thewarp-beam backward or forward. This is necessary for various reasons as,for instance, after making a pick out.

In either form of apparatus above referred to the operation specified isslow, and in practice the weavers hands are very apt to become soiled,as so many oily parts of the mechanism have to be handled.

This invention has for its object the production of simple means wherebywhen desired the warp-beam can be readily and instantly released fromits actuating mechanism, the release being effectedby one hand andleaving the beam free to be turned any distance. The releasing iseffected so quickly and the parts to be handled are so few in numberthat there is little liability of soiling the hands of the weaver, itbeing manifest that itis very important aweaver should keep his handsclean, as otherwise he is apt to injure the cloth.

The novel features of the invention willbe described fully in thesubjoined specification and particularly pointed out in the followingclaims.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a let-off mechanism of aloom with one form of the invention embodied therein. Fig. 2 is apartial vertical section thereof on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, looking towardthe left. Fig. 3

is a detail on the line 3 3, Fig. 2, looking down, showing thetransmitting means partly broken out between the Warp-beam and itsactuating member; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged view, partly in longitudinalsection, of the clutch or coupling interposed. between the beam and theactuating member therefor.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the warp-beam W, having an attached gear B,the upright.

the loom side A, has an elongated bearing 6 for a transmitting-shaft Erotatably mounted therein, and a worm-gear e and a pinion g are shownmounted on the shaft ll in continuous mesh with the worm d and beamgearB, respectively. The shaft E project-s some distance beyond each end ofthe bearing 6, and herein the pinion g on the inner end of the shaft isshown secured thereto by its hub g, while the worm-gear e is loose onthe shaft. worm-gear e is herein shown as having teeth or projections eon its outer end, forming one member of a clutch or coupling, the innerend of the hub being adjacent the outer end of the bearing e, Figs. 2and 3. Upon the outer end of the shaft E projecting beyond the hub e, ismounted the other memberfof the clutch or coupling, shown as recessed inFig. 4 and having at its inner end teeth or projections f to engage theteeth or projections 6 The member f is splined at f, Fig. 4, to theshaft E and normally held in operative position by a spring 8X, theouter end of the latter abutting against a collar f secured to the shaftby a set-screw 3. An annular lip or enlargementj is made on the outerend of the member f to facilitate its movement manually, and byreference to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the springreceiving recess inthe coupling member f is of greater diameter than the collar f The outerend of the hub e of the- Ordinarily the spring will maintain the clutchmembers in cooperative position, and thereby the worm-gear e will rotatewith the transmitting-gear E, and the warp-beam will be rotated from theactuating shaft or member d. When, however, the weaver finds itnecessary to turn the warp-beam backward or forward, all that isnecessary is for him to grasp the clutch member f, which by its shapeforms a convenient knob, and draw it outward on the shaft E therebyreleasing the clutch, and the warp-beam can then be turned backward orforward as much as desired. The releasing of the clutch is effectedeasily and instantly with one hand, and it will be manifest that it isunnecessary for the weaver to take hold of any of the oily parts of theloom in order to disconnect the warp-beam and its actuating mechanism.

With the structure herein shown it will be seen that the friction deviceF is not disturbed in any way by the release of the beam, so that whenthe latter has been manipulated, as desired, by hand the parts are incondition for immediate resumption of work, the release of the clutch orcoupling memberf by the weaver being followed by the automatic clutchingof the parts due to the action of the spring 8 The invention is notrestricted to the precise construction and arrangement herein shown, asvarious changes or modifications may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In let-off mechanism for looms, a warpbeam, a positively-drivenactuating member, a transmitting-shaft having a fast and a loose gearthereon, one of said gears cooperating -with. the warp-beam and theother with the actuating member, and a clutch to normally effectrotation of the loose gear with the shaft, release of the clutchpermitting the warp-beam to be turned independently of the actuatingmember.

2. In let-off mechanism for looms, a warpbeam, an actuating membertherefor, driven by a moving part of the loom, gears on the beam anddriving member, a transmittingshaft' having mounted upon it gears inmesh with the beam and driving-gears, one of the gears on the shaftbeing fast thereon, and means to uncouple manually the other shaftgearfrom the shaft.

3. In let-ofi mechanism for looms, a warpbeam, an actuating membertherefor, driven by a moving part of the loom, gears on the beam anddriving member, a transmittingshaft having a gear fast thereon in meshwith the beam-gear, a second gear loose on the shaft and in continuousmesh with the driving-gear, and a clutch to connect the loose gear withor disconnect it from the transmiting-shaft.

' 4. In let-off mechanism for looms, a warpbeam having an attached gear,an actuatingworm driven by a moving part of the loom, atransmitting-shaft having a pinion fast thereon in mesh with thebeam-gear, a fixed bearing in which the shaft is rotatably mounted, aworm-gear loose on said shaft and in continuous mesh with the worm, aclutch member on said worm-gear, a cooperating clutch member rotatablewith the shaft and movable longitudinally thereon into and out ofengagement with its fellow, and a spring to effect cooperation of theclutch members and thereby connect the worm gear with the shaft.

5. In let-off mechanism for looms, a warpbeam having an attached gear,an actuatingworm driven by a moving part of the loom, atransmitting-shaft havinga pinion fast thereon in mesh with thebeam-gear, a fixed bearing in which the shaft is rotatably mounted, aworm-gear loose on said shaft and in continuous mesh with the worm, saidpinion and worm-gear being located at opposite ends of theshaft-bearing,a clutch one member whereof rotates with the worm-gear andthe other member with the shaft, the latter member being mounted on theouter end of the shaft and manually movable longitudinally thereof inone direction to render the clutch inoperative, and a spring to effectcooperation of the clutch members.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN V. OUNNIFF.

Witnesses:

E. B. J OURDAIN, WM. H. O. TAYLOR.

